A History of the Penal Laws in Ireland
Author: Russell Shortt
The Treaty of Limerick of 1691 marked the third great defeat for the Catholic cause in seventeenth century Ireland. The Irish Parliament, which was now entirely Protestant began reinforcing their position as the ascendancy in Ireland. Catholics and Protestant non-conformists were again liable for payment of tithes to the established church and a comprehensive series of new anti-Catholic legislation was passed aimed at keeping Catholics in permanent subjection. Another factor influencing the implementation of this legislation was the fact that huge numbers of Irish soldiers were in the armies of Louis XIV of France, who might form the main body of an invasion force of Ireland, that the Catholics would rally to in an attempt to restore the Stuarts to the throne. A comprehensive series of Penal Laws were implemented including those which debarred Catholics from sitting in parliament; from holding any government office; from voting; from entering the law profession, the army or the navy; from inter-marrying with Protestants and from holding firearms. In addition, a system was devised which forbade Catholics to buy land or take leases for longer than thirty-one years. In the 1760s an emerging Catholic middle class began to become more vocal in their opposition to the Penal Laws. In addition, there was a growing opposition group in the Irish parliament that advocated resistance to British interference in Irish affairs, to counter this movement the British administration adopted a sympathetic attitude towards the Catholics as the lesser of the two evils. The War of American Independence forced the issue when France declared on Britain and rumours of an invasion were circling. It was thought wise to conciliate Catholics as Catholic recruits were needed for the army. Relief legislation was passed later in 1778 which dismantled some of the restrictions imposed on Catholics in relation to property. However, the pace of reform was painfully slow leading many reformers to despair of peaceful means leading in part to the unsuccessful 1798 rebellion. In May 1823, Daniel O’Connell launched the Catholic Association to campaign for Catholic Emancipation which was largely achieved by 1829.
About the Author:
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: http://www.exploringireland.net
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